Keeping your teeth healthy goes far beyond regular brushing, flossing, and dental appointments. One of the best things you can do for your dental health is make sure you’re getting plenty of minerals from your diet.
Unfortunately, the standard American diet (SAD) typically consists of very calorie-dense foods that have extremely low nutrient density. This means we tend to be over fed but under nourished.
This malnourishment can lead to severe deficiencies in the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly. If you’re deficient in these minerals, you may experience symptoms like muscle cramping, fatigue, loss of appetite, heart issues, and even seizures.
So, if you want a healthy smile, strong teeth, and a body that feels good and functions well, make sure you’re consuming these 4 important minerals regularly in your diet:
- Calcium – You can get more calcium in your diet by regularly eating milk, cheese, yogurt, broccoli, carrots, and salmon.
- Magnesium – Increase your dietary magnesium by eating plenty of dark green vegetables, legumes, nuts, corn, brown rice, buckwheat, rye, and other whole grains.
- Phosphorus – Make sure you’re eating phosphorus rich foods like pumpkin seeds, lentils, soybeans, beef, pork, scallops, sardines, cod, shrimp, tuna, salmon, and cheese.
- Potassium – You can increase your potassium consumption by eating plenty of bananas, prunes, avocados, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, swiss chard, lima beans, and avocados.
As you can see, including a lot of diversity in your diet is the best way to make sure you’re getting all the minerals you need to keep your teeth strong and your body healthy. Focus on eating a variety of whole foods, and your smile will thank you!